Kashi Vishalakshi Shakti Peetha

The Vishalakshi Temple in Varanasi is a Shakti Peetha where Sati’s necklace (hara) is said to have fallen. The temple stands in the ancient city of Kashi (Varanasi), one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and is closely associated with the broader Shaiva and Shakta traditions of the region.

Background

The Vishalakshi Temple is located near the Manikarnika Ghat, one of the most sacred cremation grounds in Hinduism. The temple’s name, Vishalakshi (“large-eyed”), refers to the goddess’s wide, compassionate gaze. The site has been a place of worship for centuries, and the temple is mentioned in medieval texts describing the sacred geography of Kashi.

Shakti Peetha significance

According to the Shakti Peetha lists, the necklace of Sati fell at Varanasi. The necklace is an ornament of beauty and grace, and its fall at this location gives the Vishalakshi Temple its significance within the Shakta tradition. The temple’s proximity to the Manikarnika Ghat, where Shiva is believed to whisper the taraka mantra into the ears of the dying, adds to the site’s spiritual intensity.

Associated deity

The presiding deity is Vishalakshi, a form of the Divine Mother whose wide eyes symbolise the all-seeing, all-compassionate nature of the goddess. The temple’s traditions are integrated with the broader worship of Shiva and Parvati in Kashi, where the divine couple are understood as the eternal residents of the city.

Present day

The Vishalakshi Temple is an active place of worship in Varanasi, receiving devotees from across India and beyond. The temple’s location in the heart of the city, near the ghats and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, makes it part of the dense network of sacred sites that define Varanasi’s spiritual character.